Picture This
by MalibuXinXtheXsunshineXX
Summary: Ikarishipping! Oneshot. Dawn's still not over Paul, even though they broke up three years ago. Now, he's back in her life. And she has to face whether or not she still has feelings for the boy who broke her heart.


**HAPPY IKARISHIPPING DAYYY! (Or, I really hope it's Ikarishipping Day.) I wrote this cute little oneshot for it, called Picture This. **

**I hope you guys like it! I don't really have anything more to say...so: CHECK OUT SURFERGURL14's CONTEST! And My POLL and MAKE SURE TO REVIEW! And check out my other stories! **

**LOVE YOU GUYS TO DEATH! Hope you enjoy PICTURE THIS! **

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><p>The cell phone ringing filled Dawn with dread. She looked at it and decided she wasn't going to pick up. Nope. Not even going to look at the caller ID. She knew who was calling. She wasn't going to answer.<p>

Even with this thought in place, Dawn's stomach was still twisted in that nervous, ugly way. Casually, as if she couldn't avoid the temptation, Dawn peeked at her now-silent cell phone.

One new voice message.

"Oh, Cresselia." Dawn groaned, "I guess I'll just have to listen to it now." Dawn quickly pressed 'Call Voicemail' and put her phone to her ear.

"_You're not even going to answer your phone? That's cool. I know you're avoiding me.. Whatever. Don't pick up. I don't care."_

_Okay…_Dawn thought, _that wasn't so bad. _Dawn put her phone back in her purse, feeling accomplished.

Fantastic.

The nervous feeling she had in the pit of her stomach wouldn't go away. As a coping mechanism, Dawn pulled out her camera. $900 of hard earned babysitting money would not go to waste on this baby. Dawn had been saving up to get this camera all year. Yes, it gave up most of her weekends and, honestly, Dawn would be happy if she never saw a little kid again, but it was all worth it. It was worth it to hold the Poké-Tech brand new D1500 Camera. It was only what Dawn had been lusting over since last December when it came out.

_Click. Click. Click._

It was now August, and Dawn was finally able to hold it in her hands and call it her own.

Dawn lifted her sunglasses onto the top of her head and she peered through the lens. So perfect and crystal clear. Looking through a camera made Dawn feel like being born again.

There were so many things to take pictures of; the waves meeting the shore, the old couple walking down the beach, holding hands, or her cell phone ringing. _Again_.

This time, Dawn picked up.

"What?" She practically yelled into the phone, "I'm _busy_."

"Where the hell are you?" May screeched. "Oh, yes. I mention P-" May stopped herself quickly, "A name and then you think its okay just to take off?"

"You know I don't like to talk about that."

"I was freakin' _kidding_!" In her mind's eye, Dawn could see May throwing her hands up in the hair in exasperation. "Can't you take a joke?"

"I told you I don't like to talk about that. Joking is equivalent to talking."

"Can't you let that go?"

"No." Dawn pouted, "Now, if you don't mind, I have some pictures to take."

"Dawn, stop being such a little bitch and tell me where you are-"

Dawn's perfect fingernails dug into the 'End' button. She quickly turned her phone off and peered through her lens once more.

This time, she wasn't going to be disturbed.

Dawn turned slowly, her face glued to the camera, and tried to decide what it was that she wanted to take a picture of.

_Just because May has a boyfriend, she thinks she can go around making jokes about other people's love lives. It's really not fair. _

Dawn was the only one left in her group of friends not to have a steady boyfriend. May and Drew had been going out since freshman year, when May punched Drew for being a dick and then he kissed her. Misty and Ash had been going out for even longer, claiming that they had been going out since they were kids even though it wasn't official until Misty turned sixteen and was finally allowed to date. Leaf had a long line of boyfriends, leaving broken hearts in her wake, but Gary was definitely not going anywhere, considering what Leaf had to go through to get him. Gary was known for breaking hearts, too, but he promised he wasn't letting go of Leaf anytime soon.

It simply wasn't fair that Dawn had been the first to get a boyfriend, and now she was the last.

Life isn't fair. Dawn decided. Life sucks.

_My life is a__  
>series of actors changing places<br>except there's no back stage  
>and there's no place for me.<em>

_It's okay though,_  
><em>the jokes on the television<em>  
><em>make me laugh,<em>  
><em>remind me that it's okay<em>  
><em>not to have a backstage or a place to hide.<em>

* * *

><p>It was a Friday. Dawn was in love. And then she wasn't. One fight. One wrong word place into a sentence, and their whole relationship fell apart.<p>

It was him, who broke it off.

And then he was gone, taking her heart with him.

Dawn relived the event as the waves jumped up on her legs. Her camera was still glued to her face, but Dawn hadn't pressed the 'capture' button. Somehow, the world looked a lot brighter through her camera lens.

_Click. Click. Click. _

She should be over him. Dawn felt like she should have been over him by now. He moved away three years ago, leaving Dawn heartbroken.

What an ass. Dawn shook here head, _I can't believe I ever liked him. _She reprimanded herself, _he always was an ass. _

She was over him, now, of course.

She was over Paul like you get over the cold. It was over and done.

But, like the cold, Paul had a way of creeping back into her life.

_Well I've got dinner on my plate,  
>got my paycheck yesterday.<br>How great, how cool.  
>I've got places, I've got friends,<br>I've got Joey, Ross, and Chandler, then__…  
>there's you.<em>

* * *

><p>One day the were dating, one day they were in love, and then Paul announced that he didn't love her anymore, and that he was moving away to train in the Kanto Region.<p>

Dawn cried for days. May and Misty and Leaf all comforted her, but they all advertised the same message: Get over him!

So Dawn did.

Or, at least, that's what she told herself. Sometimes, Dawn found herself thinking about him. Thinking about how happy she was when they were together. And sometimes happened to be quiet a lot.

Not like she still liked him, or anything. Because that wasn't even a tiny bit true. It had been three years since they broke up, and since she hand last seen him.

A flash of purple hair caught Dawn's eye.

At first she thought she was dreaming, but when she turned around there really was a guy with purple hair there.

"Paul?" The camera was down and the word was out of her mouth before she could stop them. Thankfully, they were too quiet for purple-hair-guy to hear, so she saved herself from mortal embarrassment.

Her house was racing. Was it Paul? Was it really him? Was he back? Why hadn't he called?

Oh, right. Because she was supposed to be over him…

The purple haired boy turned around, as if he knew Dawn was thinking about him.

As if it was a brilliant disguise, Dawn let out an 'Eep!' and hid behind her camera like she was taking a picture.

Her heart was going crazy.

It was him! It was him! It was Paul! Paul was back! Oh, Mew . Suddenly, Dawn was filled with dread.

Paul was back.

If she wasn't pissed at May, Dawn would have texted her right that moment. Instead, Dawn slowly pulled out her phone, still holding her camera up as a barrier, and texted Misty and Leaf.  
><strong>Oh, god guys! Paul's back! <strong>

Misty responded instantly.  
><strong>Are you sure it's him? <strong>

Leaf's response took a bit longer:  
><strong>No freaking way! OMG! What a dick, thinking he can saunter back into your life. Did he say hi? Did just ignore you? What's going on? I NEED DETAILS! <strong>

Aggravated with Misty's response, because she wouldn't have texted it if she hadn't known for sure (she only made that mistake once), Dawn decided she was only going to text Leaf for the rest of her life.  
><strong>I KNOW RIGHT? He hasn't said anything. I don't think he's noticed me, yet. UGGH this is sooo awkward! Should I say something to him? Should I just ignore him? <strong>

Leaf, this time, was quick to respond:  
><strong>GET YOUR BUTT OVER THERE AND KICK HIS ASS! <strong>

Dawn smiled and put her phone away, and then slowly let her camera down to hang around her neck.

"Paul!" She called, standing up. The purple haired boy turned around and looked in the direction of Dawn.

When his onyx eyes landed on her, the only way to describe the look on his face was absolute terror.

Dawn smiled gleefully and skipped over to him. "It's been so long, Paul!" She grabbed him in a hug the moment she was close enough. She could feel him tense up beneath her arms. Dawn's smile only got bigger. Despite her intentions of making him feel like the ass he truly was, Dawn had some little bit of other incentive. She wanted to touch him, to feel his warmth against her skin.

Was that so bad?

Maybe.

She let go, her heart slightly jarred in her throat, she powered on and spoke to him like she was totally and completely over him, "Hey, how are you? When did you move back? You know, after you brutally dumped me out of the blue? How was Kanto? Was it as much fun as you thought it was going to be? Was it worth the trip?"

"Troublesome." Paul gave Dawn a very stern glare, "What the hell are _you_ doing here?"

"_I_ happen to live here. _You_ moved away, remember?"

"Whatever." Paul shook out his hair, "Look, I got to go, Troublesome –"

"Why do you still call me that?" Dawn questioned before he could walk away. _You've got to be quicker than that, _Dawn laughed.

"Still call you what?"

"Troublesome." Dawn questioned, "You used to call me that when we dated. Why do you still do it?"

"I don't know." Paul ruffled his hair with his hand. Dawn couldn't believe how hot he looked for that fraction of a second. But, then again, Paul always looked hot, "Habit, I guess."

"Maybe you should learn my real name, now that we're broken up." Dawn said crossly.

"Okay, stop that!" Paul glared Dawn down. She looked innocently back up at him, as if she had never done a thing wrong in her life.

"Stop what?"

"Bringing up the whole 'We used to date' thing. What do you want me to do? Apologize for what I did?"

"That would be nice." Dawn admitted.

"I'm not going to." Paul spat back, "It's the past. You should be over it by now." He tried to walk away, but Dawn quickly matched her pace to his long strides.

_I am. _Dawn tried to say, but the words wouldn't go any further than her head. "I'm sorry that I think you should apologize, but it's kind of the right thing to do."

"Why the hell would you think that?" Paul looked at her like she was crazy, "I never apologize."

"It was kind of a dick-y thing to do. You broke up with me out of the blue and then you moved to the Kanto region. Shady business."

"Can't you just leave me alone?" Paul shot her a hard look. Dawn took a step back, giving Paul his window for escape. To Dawn's surprise, he didn't move. His lips moved quickly and then he ducked his head.

Dawn leaned forward, "What did you just say?"

"I said…" His voice dropped to a mumble and he crossed his arms, as if waiting.

"I seriously can't hear you." Dawn repeated.

"I said…I said I'm sorry."

If Dawn's camera had been in her hands, she would have dropped it without a second thought. "You _what_?"

"If you make me to say it again, I will punch you." Paul demanded through gritted teeth.

"Oh, my Mew. The great and mighty Paul Shinji just _apologized_?" Dawn poked his shoulder, "I wish I could have video taped that! That was fabulous!"

"Shut up." Paul grimaced, "It's never gonna happen again."

There was an awkward moment of silence. Paul didn't make any move to leave, and Dawn took that as a good sign. "You wanna walk down the beach or something?"

He gave a little grunt, but didn't move.

Dawn watched him for a second, and then turned and started walking. Paul followed, his hands in his pockets.

_And now, how, we like to say that we're in love,  
>doesn't it, seem like that should be enough,<br>but, the world will roll their eyes but I still think,  
>well I still think that we're in love.<em>

* * *

><p>The water rushed over Dawn's legs as she ran into the sea. "Oh, god. It's <em>cold<em>!"

"What did you think it was going to be? _Hot_? Room temperature?"

Dawn couldn't help the smile that spread on her lips, "Shut up." She pushed him on the shoulder, but he didn't budge.

They started the walk, leading down the beach in silence. Dawn pressed her camera to her eye sometimes, clicking away at seagulls and waves and even – secretly – Paul.

_Click. Click. Click. _

And yet she was supposed to be over him.

There were a few formalities that were covered in the first stretch of the walk. Dawn questioned Paul about Kanto and his life there and all the things she had to get out of the way.

Paul didn't question her about anything, but the silence suited him.

And it left her to think. About him. About them.

About how she was supposed to be over him.

But he, he made her heart do those little tumbles. He made her smile. He made her laugh.

He broke her heart.

She pushed that thought out of her head.

"Did you miss me?" She asked, suddenly. She regretted the words after she said them, only because of the look Paul shot her. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have – I shouldn't have asked that –"

"Yes." The answer was quiet, and quick, and it cut off the rest of Dawn's babble that was threatening to explode out of her throat.

Dawn stopped walking. Paul gave a little sigh that showed he regretted what he said only because of her reaction, and turned around.

"You missed me?" Dawn repeated, "You did?"

"Can we drop it?" Paul grumbled, "Please."

"No! You missed me!" Dawn's smile was larger than life, "I knew it! I knew you missed me!"

Paul, obviously not wanting to continue the subject, forged on along the beach. Dawn paused for a moment, snapping a picture of his retreating figure.

She called out his name, and he turned around, a look that was truly Paul etched into his features.

_Click. _

She snapped the camera, taking the moment and making it last forever.

"You did _not_ just take a picture of me." Paul raised his eyebrows at her, threatening.

Dawn smiled slyly at him, "Who knows if I did."

"Dawn…" Paul said in a tone that made Dawn want to run. She tried, taking off so that the water splashed up and hit her, and hopefully him.

He charged through it anyway, grabbing her in his arms and clutching to her tightly.

"Put me down!" Dawn squealed. She pounded on his arms with one hand, while the other hand held her camera high in the air. "I'm not kidding, Paul!" Dawn squeaked, "I want to be put down."

He dropped her so abruptly Dawn was sure she was going to land butt-first in the freezing water, but he caught her right as her toes meet the sand.

His laugh filled he ears, his hot breath tickling her neck. "Scared you, didn't I?"

"You suck." She gasped, breathless.

He let go of her, gently this time. "Surprise picture!" She attacked in the only way she knew possible – photography. The picture came out a bit blurry but it was hilarious, the look on his face now permanently saved in her camera's memory.

"Oh, this is a good one!" She laughed, not wanting to show him so he didn't get the chance to delete it, "This is really good."

"Give it." Paul reached out his hand for the camera. Dawn pushed him off. He was so close, so close. Her heart hurt it was pounding so much.

"No way. I'm saving this picture for the rest of my life."

"Give it." The reaching turned into grabbing and the pushing became shoving, and suddenly there was an all-out brawl for the camera.

Somehow, in the tangling of limbs and the pushing and the shoving, Paul got pressed right up to Dawn. There weren't inches between there. There weren't centimeters. There was nothing. No space between them.

And she was supposed to be over him.

It was a lie, all those years saying she was over him.

She was never over him.

Never.

He kissed her, right then and there, on the beach. So perfect.

"I never stopped loving you." Paul said when he broke the kiss, his hand still twined in Dawn's hair. "Never."

"Well, that's good. Because I never got over you." She grabbed her camera and lifted it so it could capture both of their faces. She proceeded to grab his shirt and pull his lips down to meet hers again.

_Click. _

_But I've got arms and you've got legs__,  
>together we've made some mistakes.<br>But hey, we're doing well!_

_The world will roll their eyes but I still think,_  
><em>well I still think that we're in love.<em>

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><p><strong>YAY! I think that was a cute story! Personally, I liked it. So yeah. You guys better like it too. <strong>

**Make sure to review! I will be super happy if you review! :DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD that's how happy I will be. Even more than that. Anyway, REVIEW! And check out my poll! (Please!) And (if you have time) check out my other stories! BUT ABOVE ALL, CHECK OUT SURFERGURL14'S CONTEST! **

**The song I used in this story is: I Still Think By Darren Criss (for those of you that don't know, I'm obsessed. (He plays Blaine on Glee, for you fellow Gleeks out there)) AND I LOVE IT! And it really suited the story, so YAY FOR GOOD SONGS!**

**Okay! Thanks for reading! HAPPY IKARISHIPPING DAY! :DDDDD**

**Love forever and always, **

**Malibu :D**


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